Growing approval of smoke-free restaurants

The anticipated problems associated with the prohibition of smoking in bars and restaurants have not transpired, and if anything people in Finland are happy that they are smoke-free. Even the views of regular and occasional smokers have become more positive. The use of Swedish snuff, or snus, is rare.

Two years ago, before the ban on smoking in bars and restaurants took effect, three quarters of people polled said they favoured the impending reform. Now that the new law has had some time to take effect, even more people - 87% of those polled - consider it a good move. Just under 10% viewed it negatively. And 5% did not think that smokefree restaurants were more or less of an improvement.

There is broad acceptance of the reform of the tobacco act among different sections of the population. Nowadays even a majority (62%) of habitual smokers consider it positively. Two years ago, the views of this group concerning the reform were divided into two, with the larger of them taking a negative stance. A year ago a slim majority of them (56%) supported the smoke-free changes.

Nine out of ten daily or nearly daily pub and restaurant goers are in favour of the change to smoke-free premises. Now, only a handful  (7%) of the most active customers continue to oppose the reform. Last year this figure was as much as 26%.

The majority of customers polled (81%) said that they go to bars and restaurants as frequently or rarely compared to earlier. The impact on people's patronage of bars and restaurants due to the change to the law has been minor. A clear majority (72% vs. 83%) of regular and occasional smokers said that they go to bars and restaurants just the same as before.

There could be an impact in some groups of the population with switch to smoke-free pubs and restaurants. Though this is more a marginal matter, it is significant that nearly twice as many women (11%) compared to men said that they go to bars and restaurants more often because people are not allowed to smoke in them.

1001 people were questioned for the poll. The persons  surveyed represented 15-79-year-olds in the population, with the exception of Åland.

The poll was conducted by  TNS Gallup for Finland's ASH in April 2009.

Source: TNS Gallup Oy. Suomalaisten mielipiteet ravintoloiden savuttomuudesta. May 2009.